Gray (Awakening Book 1)

by Shannon Reber

  Kassia hissed like an angry cat and took a step in the Chief’s direction, but Dorian stepped in front of her. “The only danger to your people, is from Gerik. Your title of guardian of this town will be taken away. You will be removed,” he said to the Chief and the tattoo on his forehead began to glow.

  The Chief’s hand twitched toward his gun again.

  “If you threaten anyone I love, you are my enemy,” I stated and the air pushed him back into the wall. It held his arms away from his gun.

  He swore at me, his voice shaky, but he continued to speak, like he just couldn’t help himself. “I loved your parents like my own family and the woman you called your grandmother was everything to me. When Gerik came to me and told me the truth, that your parents were elves, that you and Kassia were half-blood abominations, we agreed to work together. Your parents deserved to die because they had deceived me. They had never registered themselves with me, or told me the extent of your magic. They deserved what they got!”

  Pain tore through me. Tears filled my eyes. My body shook all the harder. “I thought it was the White who killed Mom and Dad,” I whispered, my voice hardly audible because of the lump which filled my throat.

  “Gerik hired some White mercenary to do the job, but the Black Queen got you out before you could be disposed of. You never should have been allowed to live.”

  I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, but pulled away, my eyes fixed on the Chief. “My mom and dad were good people who never would have hurt anyone.” I stopped in front of him. Tears slid slowly down my cheeks. “They were also royals. Does the White King know you were complicit in the murder of his daughter?” I asked coldly.

  He took in a shaky breath, his eyes full of a hatred I never would have expected to see from him. “Abomination,” he said like it was all he had to say about the idea of being punished by the White King.

  Kassia stood next to me, her eyes narrowed. “Shayla, you’re dripping all over the floor. Go change your clothes,” she said, though with the way her eyes were fixed on the Chief, it was clear she had some plan in mind which would not be good for any of us.

  It was excruciating. To stand in front of a man who had been family to us, to hear him admit his hatred of us. We couldn’t kill him though. He was the Chief of police. If we killed him, we’d both spend the rest of our lives in prison.

  I pushed Kassia back, my eyes fixed on Dorian pleadingly.

  He nodded and laid his hand on the Chief’s chest. I didn’t know he had the ability to either name or depose the guardian of the town. Looked like there were one or two things I should find out soon. We were all on the same side. We needed to be on the same page.

  After Dorian had done his thing, he released the Chief from my air-binding and kicked him out. I didn’t want him to leave, but we had to focus on the best way to stop Gerik. We could deal with the Chief later.

  Seventeen

  My body was so tired it hurt, but I could not let my power stop even for a moment. Every human needed to stay inside and my hurricane-force storm was the only way to make sure they did, or that was the hope.

  I walked back into the living room after a few minutes, my clothes changed, my hair dried well enough. All I wanted was to take a week long nap and eat a truckload of cheeseburgers, but there was too much to do, too much to worry about.

  Ben took my hand and guided me over to sit on the couch, his expression worried. He didn’t let go of my hand, but offered me a granola bar. “You’re going to need the fuel to keep this thing going,” he said, though didn’t sit next to me.

  I squeezed his hand and asked the air’s help. It swirled around him in a mini whirlwind which should dry him off in mere moments.

  It cracked me up to see the look on his face, the half amused, half freaked out expression one of the funniest things I’d seen in a long time. I kind of wanted to laugh, but was just too tired for it. Sleep called to me, but with the contact of his hand around mine, my control was increased exponentially.

  When he was dry, I pulled my hand away and tore open the granola bar. The first bite was like a cool drink of water after the longest walk through the driest, hottest desert. The next bite was so good I almost cried. When it was gone, I stared disconsolately at the wrapper, unsure if eating more would be a good idea.

  A glass appeared in front of me. I looked up to find Ben there with a glass of what looked like chocolate milk. Okay, no matter what was coming, I was SO going to make out with that boy again. He was the perfect guy.

  I took the glass and began to drink, a little disconcerted to find that the room was silent. I looked around. Every one of them stared at me. “What?” Had I forgotten to put on all my clothes or something?

  Dorian cleared his throat and looked away, his eyes suddenly focused on one of the windows. “This is far more magic than I believed you to have the capability to exert, but to maintain it this long and still be able to dry your friend off with such ease . . . I believe your awakening has begun.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, unsure what to make of that idea.

  “It could take years for your power to fully awaken, but when the process has begun, you will need a dampener, or your magic will take over and destroy both you and the world around you.”

  “No pressure then,” I said snidely, irritated by his bluntness.

  “There is always pressure, Gray One. You must prepare yourself for it.”

  I made a face at him, but slowly nodded. “Do you have a dampener with you?” I hoped it wasn’t something which would have to be burned into me, like the wolf had been.

  Dorian shook his head. “No physical item could have any effect on your magic. All that can dampen your power, is to syphon it into someone else.”

  I stood and gaped at him, never having heard of anything like that being done.

  Kassia nodded. “You already told us that we were bound together, so if any syphoning is done—”

  “It cannot be you. You are in the midst of your own awakening. If the Gray One’s magic was put inside you, your very mind would explode from such power.”

  She folded her arms and glowered. “What are you talking about and why do you never use Shayla’s name?” she asked, her tone rather petulant.

  “I am the son of a stone worker and a cook. I do not have the right to use the given name of my Queen.”

  Kassia’s eyes widened, then she looked over at me. “No, Shayla. I will not curtsy to you,” she said, almost in the exact voice she had used when I was little.

  I chuckled, pleased by her little joke, but too annoyed with Dorian to really laugh. “Dorian, you’re an idiot,” I told him, finishing off my chocolate milk with a relieved sigh. The sugar made me feel so much better, like I could indeed keep the storm going and also still have the strength to deal with Dorian and Kassia. “I’m not your Queen, Dorian. I’m your friend, the little girl you trained and protected as much as was possible.”

  He bowed his head. “When Gerik murdered the Black Queen, he forfeited his right to wear the crown. You are the Queen of the Black.”

  “That’s why he wants me dead,” I breathed, finally understanding why Gerik had worked so hard to take my magic.

  “Once the awakening has come to you fully, he will not stand a chance against you.”

  “If the awakening has begun and my magic is syphoned off, that’s going to make it impossible for me to stand against him.”

  Dorian shook his head. “Your power will remain the same. What it does, is makes the power more manageable, easier to control.”

  I sighed and extended my hand toward him, not terribly fond of the idea, but there didn’t seem to be a choice.

  He shook his head yet again. “I do not have the capacity to hold your magic, Gray One.”

  “Who does?” I groaned, sick and tired of all the tap dancing around a definite answer.

  “You mean me,” Ben said and sat down next to me on the couch, his eyes fixed on Dorian.

  He nodded. “The aw
akening was the reason those with the sight were given that ability when time began. They were meant both as mediators between the immortal races and helpers of any who were in need. You are the only one who can help the Gray One.”

  I looked over at him, unsure how he would feel about that kind of responsibility.

  Ben didn’t flinch, his expression kind of bland. “No problem. What do I need to do?”

  “Ben, wait,” I said, my eyes fixed on his. “You don’t even know what this entails.”

  “It doesn’t matter what it entails, Shay. It’s you.”

  My cheeks heated. My stomach fluttered. Wow. That was . . . um, awesome.

  My sister let out a loud huff. “Okay, you two need to break up the eye make-out fest. Some of us may well puke if you don’t.”

  I didn’t look away from Ben. “Kassia, bite me,” I said, pleased to see the amusement in Ben’s eyes.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s Ben’s job, Shayla.”

  “Shut up, pervert.”

  “You want to—”

  Ben laughed. “Okay, the Vincent feud should probably be put on hold until after this situation is resolved,” he said, his crooked grin in place.

  “Look at you, mediating between the immortal species,” I said and patted his knee. “Well done, Ben.”

  He smirked, but turned his eyes to Dorian. “What do we need to do?”

  Dorian walked over and crouched down in front of me. “Are you willing to do this, Gray One?” he asked, something wary in his tone.

  “Why are you asking me that? Is there something I need to know about this process?”

  Dorian closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. “It will be painful,” he said in a voice close to a whisper.

  I looked at Ben, my brows raised high in question.

  He didn’t speak, but laid his hand on my knee and squeezed.

  I took in a shaky breath and looked back at Dorian. “Let’s do this.”

  “You need to join hands.”

  I turned on the couch and offered my hands to Ben.

  He took them, his face a stoic mask.

  “Gray One, you must call to the water and ask it to join with yours, to merge.”

  I closed my eyes and focused on the water inside both Ben and me. That friend was less eager to do as I asked than usual. It was like the water understood what was going on and disapproved for some reason.

  It couldn’t matter. It had to be done, apparently. Looked like we were all just going to have to suck it up and do what Dorian said.

  I called to the water again, and it came, melting into the water inside Ben. It was a weird feeling, like all of a sudden, we were one person. I felt the water, air and even blood which passed through his system. Then it came into contact with the glow of my magic.

  My body was slammed back, Ben’s fingers clenched around mine the only thing which held me up. His fingers were hard as rock and hot, like he’d held them far too close to a furnace. That furnace was me.

  My body burned. Magic flowed through the air until Ben and I were cocooned in a bubble of lightning. My skin felt like it had been placed on a live wire. I jerked and spasmed, but so did Ben.

  Then slowly, the pain began to ease back. The bubble of lightning continued on, but the fire inside me settled back into a warm and comfortable heat.

  I opened my eyes, startled to find Ben staring at our still joined hands. His eyes were wide, like something had alarmed him. I looked at our hands and understood.

  The spear of Odin which had been tattooed on the back of my hand was on the back of his hand as well. He was of the house of Gungnir. He had never agreed to that and was suddenly a weapon of Odin.

  I stared at it as well, then looked at him. “So uh . . . you okay?” I asked, not at all sure if he was, or could be after such a thing.

  He didn’t look at me, but pulled his hands free and nodded. “So since I can feel the air and water, I’m guessing that means I can help you keep the storm going,” he said, his voice a little cold.

  My heart sank. It had been too much to ask of him. He was marked as part of Odin’s army for the rest of eternity, just like I was. “I don’t know,” I said in a quiet tone, my arms wrapped around myself in a protective way.

  He stood up, his eyes fixed on the lightning bubble. “How do I get out of this thing?”

  I focused on the lightning and realized it too was part of me, had always been there in the background. I drew it in, my body suddenly feeling far less tired.

  Because my magic was split between Ben and me, the power could go on without exhausting me. It was a wonderful feeling, until the look on Ben’s face brought me back.

  He kept his distance from me, his mouth set in a hard line, his eyes cold as ice. Looked like I wasn’t quite as important to him as he had claimed.

  I sighed in relief when we were free from that magical cage, my eyes fixed on Dorian. He had known, but hadn’t warned Ben. Why? Why would he trap Ben into a war which was not his?

  It appeared Ben had the same question. He took hold of Dorian’s shirt and raised him a few inches off the ground. “How dare you!” he shouted, his face full of so much rage and grief, it shook me.

  Dorian didn’t fight back, or speak. He simply stood placid while Ben raged and stormed.

  The lack of fight seemed to diffuse Ben’s temper a bit. He flung Dorian away and turned to walk toward the door.

  “Ben,” my sister snapped, her tone sharp as a blade.

  He stopped, but didn’t turn back to look at her.

  Kassia cocked her hands on her hips and marched over to stand in front of him. “Whatever is wrong with you, I couldn’t care less. What I care about right now, is the fact my sister looks less like she’s about to pass out from exhaustion. We have a war to plan, which about five minutes ago, you were ready to fight in. Are you backing out?”

  Ben swallowed hard, then shook his head. He didn’t look at any of us, but leaned back against the wall, his arms folded belligerently.

  Kassia huffed, but stepped over to my side. “This whole thing was supposed to be about stopping that Gerik guy from finding you. How are we going to do that?” she demanded, the bossy tone one which cut through my own pain and confusion at what had happened.

  “Keeping Gerik from finding me is impossible,” I said in a quiet tone. “This is just about keeping humans from being hurt when he comes for me.”

  “Wrong,” Kassia snapped. She glowered at me like I’d said something stupid. “You are fighting to remain free, Shayla. Is that understood?”

  I turned to face her, tears in my eyes. “After Gerik killed the Black Queen, my life turned into a nightmare. I’m not going to let him take me back. I’ll do whatever I have to do to remain free and he will NOT hurt anyone else. If I have to kill him to make it happen, I’ll do it. I want justice for what he’s done.”

  My sister nodded. “You always were just like your dad,” she said and turned back to Dorian. “Now, we need to know how to keep Shayla safe. How do we do it?”

  “Gerik is not the danger we need to concern ourselves over. He is merely a spoiled child who believed himself to be more than he was. He was jealous of his brother, so had him killed. He was angry with his mother for not allowing him to tap into the Gray One’s magic. He believes he is entitled to whatever he desires.”

  “That doesn’t sound like somebody to be underestimated.”

  “He is a simple fool. The reason he has power is because his men follow him and they hold great magic.”

  “So if we can convince them that Shayla’s their Queen, Gerik’s just a whiney little kid who can be swatted down pretty easily?”

  Dorian considered for a moment, his eyes fixed on me. “I do not believe they will ever accept you as their Queen. You are more powerful than they are, so they will fear you.”

  Kassia frowned and rubbed at her chin. “Fear is a motivator.”

  Dorian shook his head. “Black elves do not bow to fear. They bow to loyalty.” He turn
ed his eyes up to look at the ceiling. “If the Gray One kills Gerik, the Black elf army will come for her.”

  “So what are we supposed to do?” I asked, my voice far stronger.

  Ben thumped his head into the wall behind him. “You go to the White King and tell him what Gerik has done.”

  I swallowed hard and nodded. It was a good idea, but would likely make the war inevitable. “I don’t know anything about the White, or the King. Would he even talk to me?” I asked the room in general.

  “Ayanna is in good standing with the King. If she accompanied you, he would be likely to listen,” Dorian said, but his expression was dour.

  I didn’t acknowledge his tone. I stepped in the direction of the door, tired of standing around. There was a plan. I would follow it. I would not think about anything other than the conversation with the White King, not Ben, not how his life was now bound to mine, not how his power belonged to Odin. Just the White King. Nothing else.

  Eighteen

  My body jerked in shock when I stepped onto the front porch. Three police cars were gathered on the street, the officers standing, their guns pointed at me. It seemed my storm hadn’t kept all the humans inside. Crap.

  My hands were in the air to show them I was unarmed. My heart pounded so hard, it hurt. Breathe. Just breathe.

  “Get down on the ground!” one of them shouted, though his voice hardly carried over the rain and wind.

  Fury filled me. The Chief. Since his position as Guardian of the town had been taken away, he must have sent the cops to take me in.

  Likely, Gerik was at the station with him. Looked like the plan to get to the White King was out. I prayed my control was strong enough to be able to fight Gerik.

  With my hands still up, I asked the air to close the door of the house and hold the others inside. I couldn’t let them be hurt. If I faced Gerik alone, it was far more likely no one would be hurt, other than me. That was my prayer anyway.

  My hands stayed up while I knelt on the porch, then slowly lowered myself to be facedown. It was a horrifying feeling, to know there were men with guns trained on me, ready to shoot, who all advanced on me.